Epub.js
Epub.js is a JavaScript library for rendering ePub documents in the browser, across many devices.
Epub.js provides an interface for common ebook functions (such as rendering, persistence and pagination) without the need to develop a dedicated application or plugin. Importantly, it has an incredibly permissive Free BSD license.
Try it while reading Moby Dick
Why EPUB
The EPUB standard is a widely used and easily convertible format. Many books are currently in this format, and it is convertible to many other formats (such as PDF, Mobi and iBooks).
An unzipped ePUB3 is a collection of HTML5 files, CSS, images and other media – just like any other website. However, it enforces a schema of book components, which allows us to render a book and its parts based on a controlled vocabulary.
More specifically, the ePUB schema standardizes the table of contents, provides a manifest that enables the caching of the entire book, and separates the storage of the content from how it’s displayed.
Getting Started
Get the minified code from the build folder:
If you plan on using compressed (zipped) epubs (any .epub file) include the minified version of JSZip.js which can be found in build/libs
<!-- Zip JS -->
Setup a element to render to:
‹›
Create the new ePub, and then render it to that element:
See the Documentation to view events and methods for getting the books contents.
The Examples are likely the best place to learn how to use the library.
Internet Explorer
Compatibility with IE is best with wicked-good-xpath, a Google-authored pure JavaScript implementation of the DOM Level 3 XPath specification (but not required). More info at https://code.google.com/p/wicked-good-xpath/
You can download the latest wgxpath here or from the examples folder.
Then install wgxpath via a hook like the one below:
EPUBJSHooks{ wgxpath; ifcallback ;}; wgxpath;
There are currently a number of open issues for Internet Explorer any help addressing them would be greatly appreciated.
Recent Updates
-
v2 splits the render method from the layout and renderer. Currently only iframe rendering is supported, but this change will allow for new render methods in the future. See the breaking changes to the renderer here.
-
Work-in-progress pagination support using EPUB page-lists. See a usage example.
renderer:pageChanged
has changed torenderer:locationChanged
and abook:pageChanged
event was added to pass pagination events. -
Moved Demo Reader to
/reader/
and the source to/reader_src/
. -
Updated CFI handling to support text offsets. CFIs return wrapped like:
"epubcfi(/6/12[xepigraph_001]!4/2/28/2/1:0)"
. Ranges to be added soon. -
Added support for EPUB properties. This can be overridden in the settings and default to
{spread: 'reflowable', layout: 'auto', orientation: 'auto'}
-
Updated Documentation
-
Many more Tests
Running Locally
Install node.js
Then install the project dependences with npm
npm install
You can run the reader locally with the command
node serverjs
Builds are concatenated and minified using gruntjs
To generate a new build run
grunt
Or, to generate builds as you make changes run
grunt watch
Examples
- Single
- Basic
- Contained Epub
- Promises
- Fixed Width & Height
- Custom Element
- MathML with MathJAX
- Annotations with Hypothes.is
- Pagination
Testing
Once you start a server you can run the QUnit tests at http://localhost:8080/tests/
You can download the test books from https://github.com/futurepress/books by running:
git submodule update --init --recursive
Then you can pull the latest with:
git submodule foreach git pull origin master
Hooks
Similar to a plugins, Epub.js implements events that can be "hooked" into. Thus you can interact with and manipulate the contents of the book.
Examples of this functionality is loading videos from YouTube links before displaying a chapters contents or implementing annotation.
Hooks require a event to latch onto and a callback for when they are finished.
Example hook:
EPUBJSHooks{ var elements = renderdoc items = Arrayprototypeslice; items
Additional Resources
Epub.js Developer Mailing List
IRC Server: freenode.net Channel: #epub.js
Follow us on twitter: @Epubjs
Other
EPUB is a registered trademark of the IDPF.